Display devices



Nov. 14, 1961 E. E. GAUMOND 3 0 47 DISPLAY DEVICES I Filed Nov. 5, 1958 I9 '8 @Q em WEN 2/ 8 2M! A W, in l W 48 E 22 20 H K (A fi-v Vim s 6 124 l6 k sums/J1; \EAGIZZZOND -ll BY A TTOE/UE Y United States Patent 3,008,247 DISPLAY DEVICES Eugene E. Gaumond, 264 Marcy St, Sonthbridge, Mass. Filed Nov. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 772,116 3 Claims. (Cl. 35-50) This invention relates to display devices and has particular reference to novel means for displaying samples of wood.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an attractive, compact and simple device for displaying a great many samples of wood,

Another object is to provide a device of the above character wherein the wood tone or color and grain pattern of the surface as well as the cross-section of each of the wood samples is displayed.

Another object is to provide a display device wherein an assembly of wood samples is rotatably mounted on a stand in such manner as to be protected from damage due to contact with objects such as table tops or the like while at the same time permitting both the surface and an end section of each of the samples of said assembly to be rotated into direct view.

Another object is to provide a device of the above character wherein remote means is provided for rotating the assembly of wood samples thus obviating the need for direct handling of the samples and preventing the displayed surfaces thereof from becoming marred or soiled.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device of the invention taken at a position indicated by line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating a modification of the device of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts, the device of the invention embodies a stand having a pair of end panels 11 and 12 spaced from each other and supported in upright substantially parallel relation with each other by a plurality of elongated relatively thin but rigid transverse supports 13. The end panels 11 and 12 are prefer-ably triangular in shape, and the supports 13 are placed to extend between the respective opposite corners of the panels 11 and 12 with their ends securely fastened to the sides of the panels by adhesive, screws or any other suitable means. The stand 10 may be constructed of wood, metal or molded plastic and may, if desired, be provided with end panels which are contoured differently than the panels 11 and 12 shown in the drawings. That is, it is only important that a flat base is provided on the panels 11 and 12 to permit the stand 10 to seat level and steadily upon a fiat surface such as a table top or the like.

A plurality of wood samples 14, each of a different type of wood, are cut to substantially equal thicknesses and lengths and preferably to equal widths (they may be of diflierent widths if desired) and are adhesively connected in flush edge to edge relation with each other or nailed or otherwise secured together in the form of a rectangular box-like structure of a length slightly less than the spacing between the panels 11 and 12 of the stand 10. In the structure 15, the individual wood samples 14 which form each side of said structure are placed in aligned side- "ice by-side connected relation with each other and the sides of the structure 15 are assembled together (see FIG. 2) so as to expose one end or cross-section 14b of each of the respective samples 14.

The opposite ends of the structure 15 are each provided with a filler block or member 16 of wood, plastic or the like (see FIG. 3) having openings 17 therethrough which are aligned with a central axis through the structure 15. An opening 18 is provided centrally through each of the panels 11 and 12 of the stand 10 and with the structure 15 placed between the panels 11 and 12 a spindle 19 is passed through the openings 17 and 18 to support the structure rotatably in the stand 10. In order to cause the structure 15 to rotate as a unit with the spindle 19, the members 16 are glued, pinned or press-fitted onto the spindle 19. Washers 20 are placed on the spindle 19 between the respective panels 11 and 12 and the members 16 to fill the space between the panels 11 and 12 and the ends of the structure 15 thereby providing a slight frictional drag on the structure 15 when it i rotated. The frictional drag may be positively introduced by forming one of said washers of resilient material. This drag tends to hold the structure 15 at a desired rotated position during viewing while permitting it to be relatively easily rotated when desired by the turning of the spindle 19. It is pointed out that if desired, the above-mentioned drag may also be applied to the structure 15 by producing a tight fit between the spindle 19 and the openings 18 rather than using the above meutioned close fitting or resilient washers 20.

It will be noted more particularly in FIG. 3 that while one end of the spindle 19 extends through and is substantially flush with the outer side of panel 11, its opposite end extends through and outwardly beyond the outer side of the panel 12 so as to receive an operating knob 21 which is fixedly secured to the spindle. The knob 21 is spaced slightly from the panel 12 by a washer 22 and is either press-fitted, glued or pinned to the spindle 19.

The various sides of the structure 15 which each embody several wood samples 14 may be selectively brought into view at the front of the stand 10 by rotating the knob 21. By so doing, the surface texture and the end grain of each sample may be examined. For example, the side surface 14a of a wood sample (see FIG. 2) may be viewed directly when the structure 15 is positioned as shown and the end section or end grain 14b of the same sample may be seen by looking down on the structure 15 or by rotating the structure 15 so as to face the end section 14b forwardly of the stand 10.

Labels 23 are provided at one end of each of the samples 14 to designate the particular type of wood from which each sample was taken.

It is pointed out that the display device of this invention may be used to display samples of unfinished wood or alternatively, the samples 14 may be provided with different stains or finishes for demonstrating the effects of said finishes on both the exposed side surface and end section of the wood.

A modification of the invention is shown in FIG. 4 wherein a box-like structure 24, which is somewhat similar to the structure 15 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, is provided. The wood samples 25, in this case, are assembled, preferably with reinforcing cross sectionally triangularly shaped strips 26, so as to have only the inner edges of their opposite end surfaces joining each other. In this manner a rectangular space is provided at each corner of the structure 24 in which is placed and adhesively or otherwise secured, below each of the samples 25, a small rectangular block or section 27 of the same sample with the end grain of the small section 27 facing outwardly and flush with the outer surface of the sample. Labels 28 are provided as usual, above each sample'and, as shown in FIG. 4, the surface 25a and the end grain 25b of the same sample may be viewed simultaneously and from the, same general direction. That is, in the device of FIG. 4, adjoining each sample 25 is a small end sec tion 27 of the same sample with its and grain 25b displayed in the same plane as the surface 25a of the sample. The device is otherwise similar in construction as the; device of FIGS. l, 2 and 3. a

From the foregoing, it can be seen that simple, eifeo.

tive and economical means have been provided for ac-' tion.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of'si-milarly dimensioned rectangularly-shaped flat samples of different types of wood arranged in groups connected in edge-to-edge aligned relation with each other with their surfaces of greatest dimension lying substan-' tially in a single plane to form a plurality of relatively long similarly dimensioned 'flat strips having their longitudinal upper and lower edge portions in substantially flush relation with each other, means securing said strips together along said longitudinal side edges thereof to, form a box-like structure with a side surface of greatest; dimension of each of said samples being disposed outwardly and forming the major portion of the respective. outer side surface portions of said box-like structure, said strips being secured together along the longitudinal edge portions thereof in such manner as to expose the respective outwardly disposed side surfaces of greatest dimension of said samples to visual inspection and in such man-, ner as to expose an end cross-grain surface portion of said respective samples of said different types of wood for visual inspection, a stand having a pair of side panels, means for supporting said panels in spaced substantially parallel relation with each other and means for pivotally connecting said box-like structure to said side panels for i otatably mounting said box-like structure on said stand between said side panels whereby the samples may be selectively brought into view at the front of the stand and the side surface texture and cross-grain texture of each sample may be examined.

2. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of similarly dimensioned rectangularly-shaped flat samples of diiferent types of wood arranged in groups connected in edge-to-edge aligned relation with each other with their outer surfaces of greatest dimension lying substantially in a single plane and with their upper-and lower longitudinal edges in substantially flush relation with each other, said groups forming a plurality of similarly dimensioned relatively long strips, said strips being secured together along the longitudinal edges thereof in a boxlike structure with said outwardly disposed surfaces of said samples forming the respective outer surface portions of said box-like structure and with the end surfaces along a longitudinal edge of the samples of the respective strips engaging and connected with respective inner side surface portions of the samples of an adjacent strip and with the outer edges of said end surface portions located in substantially flush relation with theedges of said samples of said adjacent strips, said samples of different types of wood each having a side surface portion and a. crossgrain surface portion exposed outwardly of said box-like structure, a stand having a pair of side panels, means for supporting said side panels in spaced substantially parallel relation with each other, means pivotally connecting said boxlikev structure to said side panels whereby said samples may be rotated and selectively brought into view at the front of the stand and the side surface texture and crossgrain texture of each sample may be examined.

3. A device of the character described comprising similarly dimensioned rectangularly-shaped flat samples of different types of wood arranged in groups connected in edge-to-edge aligned relation with each other with their outer side surfaces of greatest dimension lying substantially in a single outer plane forming similarly'dirnemw sioned relatively long strips having their upper and lower longitudinal edges in substantially fiush relation with each other, said rectangularly-shaped flat samples each having a strip cut perpendicularly to the plane of said samples and of a length andwidth substantially equal to the length and thickness of said samples secured to the like edge of the respective samples with a cross-grained surface ofyeach of said strips, exposed and substantially flush with the outer side surfaces of greatest dimension of said samples, said strips on each of said samples being secured, along the side surfaces thereof opposed to their exposed cross-grained surfaces, to the longitudinal edge surface of an adjacent strip to form a box-like structure whereby each of the, samples of the respective strips will have the texture of its outer side surface exposed and will also have, the texture of its cross-grain exposed, a stand having a pair of side panels, means for supporting said side panels in spaced substantially parallel relation with each other and means pivotally connecting said box-like structure to said side panels for rotatably mounting said box-like structure on said stand between said' side panels whereby said samples may be selectively brought into view at the front of the stand and the side surface texture and crossegrain texture of each sample may be examined.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

